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(N0 Model.)

S. J. FORD.

GAR GOUPLING. No. 352,744. Patented Nov. 16, 1886` f w y .D e f a "l- 2 a .l

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I' filmen TATS snviEON J. EOED, OE PLAOERVILLE', OAL., AssiGNoE OE ONE-HALE To BEN- JAMIN G. PAELOW- AND AMON MELTON, BOTH OE sAME PLACE.V i

CAR-COUPLING.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,744, dated November 16, 18,86.

Application tiled August 25, 1886. Serial-No. 211,851.' (No model.) Y

.To all whom, it may concern,.-

Bo it known that I, SIMEON J AsPER FORD, of Placerville, El Dorado county, State of vCalifornia, have invented an Impro vement in Car- Couplings; and I hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

Myl invention relates to that class of carcouplings in which a pivoted gravity-latch sustains the coupling-pin until forced back by the entering link, whereupon it releases the pin, so that it dropsthrough the link, and thus couples the cars.

My invention consists in an apertured gravity-latch plate pivoted in the upper frontvportion of the draw-head chamber and hanging down at a backward inclination within said chamber, said plate supporting the couplingpin upon the edge of its aperture and adapted to relieve it when raised by the entering link.

It consists, further, in connection with this gravity-latch, of a loose plate above and resting upon the latch-plate, and also apertured y for the passage of the pin, said loose plate serving to more effectively cramp or bind thepin by its weight, and also to hold the link horizontal, as I shall hereinafter fully describe.

The object of my invention is to providea simple and effective automatic car-coupling, which will avoid the necessity of the brakeman going between the cars to couple them.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention,.

Figure l is la longitudinal vertical sectionv of the draw-head, the pin and link being in elevation. `Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the draw-head, showing the plan ofrlatch-plate D, the loose plate being removed. Fig. 3 is a front View of the draw-head, showing the depression c. Fig. 4L is a horizontal section showing the plates D E in plan.

A is the draw-head, to be secured to the car in the usual manner, and having the chamber D is the latch-plate, which fits within thel draw-head chamber, its upper end being pivoted in suitable manner in the upper front portion of the said chamber.

The latch-'plate hangs downward at aback ward inclination, and is Stopped by a small lug or pin, d, in the side walls ofthe chamber. It has a hole, d', made in it, which, when the plate is at rest, is not exactly in line with the pin-holes in the chamber, so that the pin cannot pass through itwhen the latch` is hanging down in its normal position, but may when the latch-.plate is raised, its hole then coming in line with the holes in the chamber. The coupling-pin B is thus supported by the hanging latch-plate until the link C enters, and by lifting up the plate allowsithe pin to drop through it, and thus effects the coupling. Ihave found` that the cramping of the pin by the latch-plate alone is not as certain as is desired to prevent the pin from dropping by reason of a jar or shake,.and therefore in order to make the device effective IA use a second plate, E. This plate is entirely loose, not being connected in any manner with the rest ofthe coupling. It rests upon the top of the latch-plate D, and has its rear end curved to fit the rear wall of the chamber a. It is perforated by a beveled hole, e, which, when the plate is l:in a normal position, is not in line precisely with the hole in the plate D. The pin B passes through the loose plate E and rests upon the edge of the hole in the latch-plate. The loose plate E presses down by its own weight upon the pin and holds or binds it in position, so that said pin is forced against its seat or edge of the hole d2, in which it rests, and is less liable to be shaken from it' by a jar. The plate E also adds weight to the latch-plate, whereby the link is held in a horizontal position by the weight of the two plates.

In the front of the 'floor of the draw-head chamber'are the depressions or notches a2, in which the sides of the link C rest, to prevent it from turning to either side as it enters the opposing draw-head.

The operation of the car coupling is as follows: The pin B is held' in an elevated position'by resting upon the edge ofthe hole d in the latch-plate D, and is held in this position by the weight of the loose plate E, which bears down upon it and perfectly cramps it. The link C enters the draw-head, and, coming in contact with the latch-plate D, raises'it, and with it the' loose plate E, the inner end of which, bearing against the curved rear Wall of the draw-head chamber, is forced up to relieve the pin, so that now, all the holes being in line, the pin drops through the link and the coupling is complete.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimf as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-coupling, the pivoted gravitylatch plate D, resting at an inclination Within the draw-head chamber and having a hole, `on `the edge of which the coupling-pin is snpported, in `combination with the loose plate E upon the plate D, and having au aperture through which the pin passes, said plate E holding the pin to its seat in the latch-plate, substantially as herein described.

2. In a car-coupling, the draw-head A, the coupling-pin B, andthe link C, in combination with the inclined gravity-latch plate D, pivoted in the chamber and having an aper ture supporting the pin ou its edge, and the loose plate E, resting upon the plate D and holding the pin B to its seat in the apertured latch-plate, substantially as herein described.

3. In a car-coupling, the draw-head A, having a chamber, a, with a curved rear wall, the

coupling-pin B, passing through the drawhead, and the link C, in combination with the inclined gravity-latch plate D, pivoted in chamber a and having the hole d', on the edge of which the pin is supported, and the loose plate E, resting upon the plate D and binding the pin in its seat in the latch-plate, said loose plate having a curved rear end coming in contact with the rear Wall of the chamber a, whereby it is forced to relieve the pin when the plates are raised by the entering link, substantally as herein described.

4. An improved car-coupling comprising4o the draw-head A, having the depression or notches a2, the coupling-link C, resting in said notches, the rearwardly-inclined gravity-latch plate D, pivoted in the front portion of said draw-head and having the hole d', and a perforated loose plate seated upon the latch-plate and binding against the coupling-pin, substantially as herein described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

SIMEON J. FORD. Vitnesses:

WV, N. MUFFLEY, J. A. Davis. 

